Conquest (1)
Garin.
No, my old comrade by that name.
And the traitor who betrayed the legion.
I crossed my arms as I looked at the man dragged before me.
Garin had aged considerably in the meantime, looking almost like a man in his sixties. I stared at him steadily before asking.
"I heard you went north, Garin. So why did you come back to the empire?"
At my question, Garin's wrinkled face twisted.
"You know that better than anyone, Ain."
"I do?"
"Yes. The massacres, the plundering, the arson you committed in Briton! You haven't forgotten those atrocities, have you? I heard from the Dein people about the brutal acts you inflicted on my fellow countrymen."
I laughed at his words.
"Garin, Garin. Old centurion. How many years did we fight in wars? Ten? No, longer than that, wasn't it?"
Garin fell silent.
"Every time, we killed countless barbarians without mercy, men, women, children, old folk alike. We burned every village we could and looted everything worth taking. Yes, that's war. You know that as well as I do, so why speak like some naive fool?"
"What if that happened to your family? Could you speak so calmly then?"
Garin shouted.
"Of course not. But the Britons were my enemies. You know better than anyone that we haven't lived soft enough to preach mercy and tolerance to our foes."
"Even so, I can never forgive you."
Garin glared at me with blazing eyes.
"So you dreamed of revenge against me?"
"Yes! I wanted to avenge the thousands of lives lost in Briton. To repay the debt and console their spirits. Only then could I feel worthy of being buried in my homeland."
"You wanted revenge on me?"
"I did."
"Then why didn't you prepare more thoroughly? Why botch it so sloppily? You didn't set the trap in Sian as meticulously as this."
"That was..."
I gave a bitter smile.
"In the end, you wanted to die by my hand. The traitor of the legion, the one who led your fellow countrymen to their deaths—you wanted to wash that sin away through me. Am I wrong?"
Garin said nothing.
"Foolish. If you'd stayed away, I never would have killed you."
"If you hadn't killed me, I would have killed you. From the moment we parted in Sian, we were destined to kill each other."
I nodded at Garin's response.
"Maybe so."
I gazed at him for a moment.
The old man seemed to have lost all purpose in life.
I watched him a while longer, then drew my dagger.
"For the years we served together under the empire's eagle, I'll grant you one final courtesy. Choose your own end."
I turned away, my cloak billowing.
Moments later, a short groan echoed from the prison cell, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor. I closed my eyes briefly and strode away. The man who had been my long-time comrade and bitter enemy vanished from my life just like that.
After the unexpected bathhouse arson and the string of conspiracies, I'd been focused on internal matters when a message arrived from the east. The sender was Ersia's Padishah, Shapur, who had defeated us.
Shapur.
I pondered the envoy's request for an audience before granting permission to enter the emperor's presence.
"Enter!"
At the Praetorian's shout, a man adorned with splendid peacock feathers on his chest appeared. He was someone I'd seen once before.
Xerxes.
I whispered his identity to the emperor.
"He's the standard-bearer of the Ersian king."
The man strode boldly into the hall and dropped to one knee.
"I am Xerxes, come to deliver a message from Padishah Shapur, king of kings. Your Majesty."
The emperor glanced at me briefly. Inexperienced, he was at a loss for how to respond.
I spoke on his behalf.
"His Majesty wishes to hear your king's words. Speak."
Xerxes raised his head.
"Our Padishah desires to exchange large-scale economic delegations to wash away the recent grudges between our nations."
Economic delegation? Spies to scout for invasion, more like.
I sneered inwardly.
I shook my head at the emperor.
Alexius caught the signal and addressed the envoy.
"We cannot permit that."
"It's a fine opportunity for reconciliation and friendship between our nations. Please reconsider."
"His Majesty has refused. How insolent."
"The Padishah placed great expectations on this proposal. If they are dashed, won't unnecessary grudges build up again between our countries?"
Even if so, no.
I slammed the hilt of my longsword against the hall floor.
Thud!
"You dare threaten His Majesty?"
"I merely offered counsel."
Xerxes replied with a composed expression.
"Your Majesty, I'll handle this."
The emperor, already uncomfortable with the surly eastern envoy, nodded.
"See to it."
With the emperor's approval, I raised my voice.
"Praetorians!"
At my command, four guards entered the hall.
"Escort the envoy out with all due courtesy."
"Yes, sir!"
"This is an outrage, general!"
Xerxes cried out.
I replied coldly.
"Wasn't intimidating His Majesty the outrage? You should learn manners before returning. It'll be better for your Padishah Shapur as well."
At my gesture, the Praetorians dragged Xerxes away.
Watching the scene, the emperor asked,
"Is it all right to treat the Ersian envoy this way?"
"It's fine."
"Fine?"
I nodded.
"To ensure Ersia doesn't take the empire lightly, we need to push back hard once in a while. They won't declare war immediately unless we behead their envoy. It's only been a short time since the last war; mobilizing again would breed discontent among their own people against the king."
"Then we don't need to worry much about Ersia."
"Not for the time being, Your Majesty."
I gave the emperor an optimistic reply.
But one never knows how the world turns. If Shapur resolved to rally his forces despite domestic unrest, war could erupt tomorrow.
"That reassures me. I trust you, general."
The emperor said.
I bowed my head in response.
Ersia. And the barbarians.
I felt the need to turn my attention to external enemies I'd somewhat neglected amid internal affairs. To solidify my position in the capital, I began appointing senators who had aligned with me to key posts.
The first was Senator Andrus as capital prefect. Second only to the chief secretary in the imperial bureaucracy, the prefect could lead the cabinet in emergencies. It was a vital position far beyond mere city administration.
Through the prefect, I aimed to tighten control over the imperial bureaucracy and the capital.
The second was Senator Grussis as consul for a six-month term.
The consul could assume imperial powers with Senate backing in the emperor's absence. Though largely ceremonial under the current regime, it was a position of uncertain potential in crises. Thus, I placed Grussis, who had pledged private loyalty, there.
I also tasked Drassus with secret surveillance of the senators. Through them and the Praetorians, I could monitor and control the capital.
But that wasn't enough for peace of mind.
I appointed Rikius as deputy commander of the Praetorian legion, entrusting him with contingency plans for sudden upheavals in the capital.
With internal affairs delegated to my supporters, I turned my gaze outward.
First to catch my attention were the northern barbarians.
Ersia in the east was too formidable an opponent for immediate action.
So, strike the weak first.
I pondered how to effectively target these barbarians. The northern legions were still weakened by disease in the aftermath of the campaign, in no shape to cross the border offensively. If not our hands, then borrow others'.
After deliberation, I decided to enlist other barbarians to conquer Sartia and Goti.
Sartia and Goti weren't immediate threats, but if they crowned a new king and regrouped, they had the potential to stir trouble on our northern borders anytime.
We had to crush them thoroughly while they were weak. And demonstrate the empire's strength to the north.
To do that, offer bait the barbarians can't resist.
I weighed several options.
One: Cede worthless Briton to the barbarians as reward. It would allow pulling Briton's legions to the mainland for defense—a two birds with one stone.
But long-term, it exposes our entire western coast to barbarian eyes.
Rejected.
Two: Grant land in northern frontier provinces like Bellgorod for barbarian settlement. With legions stationed there, we could control them, but failure meant heavier defensive burdens.
Viable.
Three: Offer slaves and wealth to satisfy them. With Senate cooperation, minimal loss—but they'd never yield their riches willingly. Securing that much would require concessions pleasing them.
The cheapest solution for the empire, but...
I mulled the proposals and settled on the second.
But my plan to settle more barbarians within imperial borders met fierce opposition from the start.
The first to raise voices was the Senate.
"General! Do you intend to turn the empire into a barbarian world? No. Letting barbarians inside our borders? We already have too many as it is."
"Agreed. We should be expelling the ones we have, not inviting more. Keep this up, and the empire will become a barbarian nation."
"I understand your intent, general, but I oppose. The empire is for civilized folk, not barbarians."
I felt cornered by the senators' vehement backlash.
But the Senate's opposition was mild compared to what came next.
At the chariot races celebrating the emperor's birthday, as I entered, the citizens jeered en masse.
"Boooo!"
"Barbarian-loving Praetorian prefect, step down!"
"Hanging around a barbarian woman turned you into one!"
They pelted me with tomatoes and eggs. The complaints were even harsher than during the plague riots.
"You were too hasty, my lord."
Returning to the mansion after the uproar, Erenia handed me a clean toga and said.
I smacked my lips at her words.
"But we need to crush Sartia and Goti as soon as possible. Give them time, and they'll raid our borders again. Repeated incursions will make barbarians scoff at us once more. We end that vicious cycle here."
Erenia smiled bitterly.
"You're looking too far ahead."
"Too far?"
"Yes. Living here in the capital, I've seen it. These people don't worry about tomorrow if the emperor provides bread and circuses. No way talk of accepting barbarians as neighbors to avert distant threats will sway them."
"I'm well aware."
"You are?"
"Yes. If you figured it out after a short time here, how could I not? Even so, I push because time is short. When Ersia rises again and pulls northern legions east, if the barbarians rampage, it'll be too late. The empire has suffered enough. No more."
"But..."
"Worried about the people's scorn and curses on me?"
"Yes. Why take on thankless toil no one appreciates?"
"It's my duty."
I bit my lip.
I was an imperial soldier and a politician. Effectively ruling in the emperor's stead, I had to prepare for all imperial citizens' tomorrows.
Like readying an umbrella for tomorrow's storm. That was a statesman's duty and responsibility, scorned as futile or not.
"They don't understand you."
Erenia approached and embraced me from behind.
I clasped her hands in my thick ones. Knowing someone understood me was solace unmatched. I stood there a moment, feeling her warmth.
(To be continued next time)